Everyone loves an underdog. We love the horse that comes from the back of the pack to sweep the race against all odds ... or the poor child that turns rags into riches.  But there’s nothing quite like the story of a girl who never should have and did!  That’s the amazing story of fitness star Natalie Hunt.

"I was always a determined little girl.  Whenever I wanted something, I pursued it until I got it.  Despite being born with severe asthma, I was constantly climbing on countertops, jumping off furniture and always upside down in a headstand!  So... at the tender age of four my parents enrolled me into my very first gymnastics class.

Little did they know of the great talent I had for the sport.  It was as if I were born to be a gymnast.  I excelled quickly in the sport, performing skills at 7 or 8 years old that most gymnasts don’t even attempt until many years later.  The sky was the limit and it was only a matter of time that the Olympics would be just around the corner for me….  What happened instead was a journey to end all journeys, and it changed my life forever."

TRAGEDY STRIKES

At the age of 10, Natalie’s promising gymnastics career came to an abrupt halt when she contracted an extremely rare illness called streptococcal toxic shock.  What started as a simple sore throat turned into something so severe and rare that doctors gave her virtually no chance of survival.  The physician treating Natalie at the time had diagnosed it as a common cold and prescribed bed rest and Tylenol.  Only days later, she awoke in the middle of the night with severe chest pains and was rushed to the emergency room.  Natalie immediately went into shock and slipped into a coma. 

During the 3 weeks in which Natalie was comatose and on life support, her defenseless body went through one complication after another... sepsis, adult respiratory distress syndrome (a fatal complication of strep toxic shock), phlebitis, renal failure and ultimately, full organ and heart failure. 

Doctors were forced to inform Natalie’s parents that there was nothing more they could do to save her and were forced to remove the life support.  Given Natalie's extremely rare condition, physicians were consulting with some of the best infectious disease specialists in the country in hopes of saving her from a condition which so few people ever pull through... especially children.  

"Doctors told my parents I only had 15 minutes to live." 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?

Only moments after the life support was removed, a miracle happened.   Natalie opened her eyes and took her first breath on her own.  Being a spiritual person, Natalie is certain that her sudden turn for the better was a true act from someone above. “I feel that it simply wasn’t my time to go and was given a second chance at life for a reason”, says Natalie. “I carry this thought with me each and everyday, never taking a single day for granted”.

THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

“I had to ‘learn’ everything over again: sitting up, feeding myself, walking…  I was also left with severely scarred lungs on top of the severe asthma that I was born with”.  She had lost every ounce of strength that she had worked so hard to gain in gymnastics, lost most of her hair, and weighed a mere 35 pounds. 

Her doctors said she would most likely have to rely on an oxygen tank for the rest of her life, and sadly, gymnastics would only be a memory.   “Doctors are such pessimists!” she says.  Neither Natalie nor her parents were going to let her give up and become an invalid.  Proudly, she says, “I have always been one to enjoy proving somebody wrong when they say it can’t be done... and I did.” 

FROM TRAGEDY to TRIUMPH

It took months and months of grueling hard work to regain the life she once knew.  “There were a lot of emotions: frustration, anger, sadness… but luckily, I’ve always had an incredible drive to be the best. And with my doctors’ words, ‘You’ll never be able to do gymnastics again’ echoing in my head that pushed me to work even harder”. 

Only two years later, Natalie won the U.S. Regionals and became a member of the  U.S. Junior Olympic National Team in gymnastics.  Shortly thereafter, she began training as an elite gymnast and trained at some of the best facilities with the most renowned coaches in the world.  She trained six days a week for 5-7 hours a day with no off-seasons, no vacations, and no time off for injuries. 

“Although my ‘full-time job’ as a gymnast never allowed me to experience a ‘normal’ childhood like going to the mall with friends, parties, dances, boyfriends, or anything that resembles a normal childhood, I think I was greatly rewarded for all my sacrifices”.  

COLLEGE GYMNAST

The grueling hours that she trained every week since childhood rewarded her with full scholarship offers from top Division I schools such as LSU, Alabama, Arizona, Berkeley, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.  Being a huge Sooner fan, Natalie was honored to get a call from the University of Oklahoma.  She signed on with Oklahoma, but after one year, she made the tough decision to transfer to the University of Kentucky when problems with the assistant coach began to arise.  “My former and favorite coach took the coaching job at UK so it was a quick and easy transition”, she says.  Natalie graduated with a degree in kinesiology and used that to pursue a very rewarding career as a personal trainer.

FITNESS CHAMPION

“Getting involved in the fitness industry seemed like a natural transition for me, given my background.  I'm very pleased with all that I've been able to achieve thus far.   I have had much success in my time as a fitness competitor, as well as a personal trainer and fitness model.   I have been crowned Ms. Fitness America, Ms. Bikini America, have appeared in and on the covers of numerous fitness publications, ads, and commercials.  All of my accomplishments have been more than I could ever ask for."

FINAL NOTES FROM NATALIE

"There are so many people who simply coast through life... not me.  I never take a single day for granted.  When you go through something like I did, it really makes you appreciate the little things a lot more.  You only have one chance at life, or in my case, a second chance, and I firmly believe you should live it to the fullest with no regrets.   

Looking back, there isn’t a single moment I would change in my life.  All of my challenges have made me the strong, determined, never-give-up, self-motivated, humble person I am today.  Although I constantly battle breathing problems, I never use my health as a ‘crutch’ for not pursuing whatever I put my mind to.  

I have learned that life is so delicate and can be taken from you at the blink of an eye.  We all have that tremendous inner-drive.  You just have to dig deep inside and find what truly motivates you, then go after it.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  I carry this thought with me everyday...  if it weren’t for His love, guidance, and belief in me, I wouldn’t be here today."